Loom harness



Oct. 6, 1964 J. J. KAUFMANN 3,151,634

LOOM HARNESS Filed May 2, 1963 INVENTOR. JOHN J. KAUF/WANN @TQM/mdf,

United States Patent O 3,151,634 LGDM HARNESS John 3. Kaufmann, .'lenkintown, Pa., assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 2, 1963, Ser. N 277,545 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-92) This invention relates to loom harness, and more particularly to the construction and arrangement of the loom harness frames and the supplemental heddle rods therein on which :are mounted the heddles used for separating the Warp during shedding.

Various devices have been proposed for supporting the supplemental heddle rods intermediate their ends in harness frames. Some of these supports lare suitable for harness frames having top and bottom rails of wood but are unsuited for use with rails of extruded lightweight metal.

In supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends, also the rigid attachment of the support at fixed locations on the rod and on the rail may present difficulties in initial assembly due to misalignmnet of the fastening devices and holes in the rail anges for assembly or may result in undue stress at the locations of attachment, or may result in bowing of the heddle rods due to misalignment.

lt is the principal object of the present invention to provide means for supportngi the heddle rods of loom harness frames intermediate their ends in which a relatively permanent attachment is provided of the heddle rods `to the top and bottom rails intermediate their ends with longitudinal movement if desired, but with easy access to the ends of the heddle rods for mounting of the heddles.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends in which a relatively large bearing or engaging surface is provided between the heddle rods and the structure supporting such rods.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends with the centering of the heddle bar accommodated to equalize the stresses at each end and thereby avoid sidewise bending.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved supports for heddle rods intermediate their ends in which simple but effective clamping and holding structure is provided Without sacrifice of freedom of movement of the heddles on the heddle rods from end to end.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention w-ill be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FEGURE l is a front elevational view of a loom harness frame with means in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention for supporting the heddle rods intermediate |their ends;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional View, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 2-2 of FIG. l and showing the support of a single heddle rod by the upper rail;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective View of the structure shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the support of a pair of parallel heddle rods by theV rail.

1t should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

ICC

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. l, 2, and 3, of the drawings, the heddle frame proper may be of conventional type, comprising top and bottom rails 19 connected at their ends by end struts 11 and having mounted therein upper and lower heddie rods 12 upon which the heddles 13 are slidably mounted for free movement from end to end on the heddle rods 12.

The rails 10 can be of known type and preferably are formed as hollow extrusions of aluminum or other light metal alloy. The rails 1i?, if made as extrusions, can have inner and outer wall sections 14 and 15, and side wall sections 16. The rails 1G are each provided with an interior longitudinal ange 17 integral with and extending along the inner wall sections 14 from end to end between the ends struts 11 and as a continuation of one side wall section 15. The flange 17, if desired, can have a longitudinal rib 18 therealong in spaced relation to the inner margin 19 of the ange 17.

The heedles 13 can be of any desired type, such for example, as those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of my prior Patent No. 2,047,511, or those shown in my prior Patent No. 2,386,690, and with upper and lower end eyes or mortises 20.

The heddle rods 12 can be of any desired cross seclion but for purposes of the present invention preferably have a groove 21 along one face thereof with a depth of the order of half the thickness of the rod 12 providing a central web 22 and a Width of about half the width of the rod 12.

The ends of the heddle rods 12 are preferably terminated inwardly of the end struts 11 and these ends are supported in the heddle frame in any desired manner, such for example, as is shown i-n FIGS. 6 and 7 of my prior Patent No. 2,560,512. With that type of end suppont, apertures 23 are provided in the end portions of the heddle rods 12 for engagement by heddle rod holding spring members 24 which are secured by rivets (not shown) to the end struts 11 of the frame.

In the preferred form of support for the heddle rods 12 intermediate their ends, as shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heddle rods 12, at each location where a support is desired, have a slot 25 elongated longitudinally of the heddle rod 12. Within the slot 25 an elongated mounting plate 26 is provided of a thickness the same as or greater than that of the web 22 if loose mounting of the rod 12 is desired or slightly less than the thickness of the web 22 if a tight clamping or" the rod 12 is desired. The plate 25 is of shorter length thm slot 25 to accommodate the positioning within the slot 25 at the time of assembly, and in some instances for subsequent use. The plate 2e is in face to face engagement with an elongated spacer plate 27 which is of suitable sham and thickness to space the heddle rod 12 from the ilange 17 and from the rib 18 a suihcient distance to insure free movement of the end eyes 20 of the heddles 13 along the heddle rod 12.

In order to carry the spacer plate 27 and the mounting plate 26 spaced rivets 3@ are provided which extend through the rib 18 and the plates 27 and 26 and engage an elongated clamping plate 31 which preferably overlaps the mounting plate 26 sidewise and above and below. The clamping plate 31 is preferably of a thickness so yas to have the outer face flush with the outer face of the heddle rod 12 and accordi-ugly has a thickness which is the same as or less than `the depth of the groove 21. The heddle rod 12 and the clamping plate 31 preferably have countersunk openings 33 for the reception of the complemental heads 32 of the rivets 3B so that these are flush with the respective exposed faces of the heddle rod 12 and ofthe plates 31.y

ln FIG. 4 a duplex construction is illustrated in which a Vpair of heddle rods 12 are mounted in spaced pmallel relation in a manner very similar to the mounting previously described. The heddle rods l2 have slots 25 with mounting plates 26 therein and areheld in spaced relation to a longitudinal ilange i7 by spacer plates 27 on each side. The flange 17 is integral with and extends centrally from the inner'wall section E4 between the Wall sections 16 and from end to end between the end struts 11. Y

Opposite clamping plates 31 are held by rivets 3@ with their heads 32 iiush as before.

The structure described above provides an effective support for the heddle rods 12 intermediate their ends, retaining the heddle rods 12 with the desired parallelism horizontally with respectv to the rails l0, and either rigidly clamped with respect to the flange 17 and 17 or Vwith a limited longitudinal movement permitted, if desired, and

Without undue Wear.

I claim:

l. In loom harness including a heddle frame having top and bottom rails with inwardly extending ilanges on Vsaid rails and heddle rods comprising thin fiat metallic Ystrips mounted in the frame, means for permanently supporting said heddle Vrods intermediate the ends thereof comprising, at each supporting location along each of said flanges, a mounting plate, said heddle rod having an elongated recess for the reception of said mounting plate, said recess being of greater length `than the length of the mounting plate therein, a clamping plate engaging said Cil ' 4 3. The means for supporting a 1neddle rod as deined in claim l in which said heddlerod has a groove therealong andrsaid clamping plate is disposed in said groove. 4. The means for supporting a heddle rod as deined in claim l in which said heddle rod has a groove therealong, said clamping plate is disposed insaid groove, and said clamping plate has an outer face flush with an outer face of said heddle rod. Y Y

t 5. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim l in which the clamping plate retains the heddle rod against longitudinal movement.

6. The means for supporti-ng a heddle rod as defined in Vclaim l in which said holding members lare spaced rivets.

7. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim l in which eachof said ilanges is disposed intermediate opposite faces of the rails, said heddle rods extending along one side of each of said flanges and second heddle rods extending along the other side of each of said ilanges, said rods being held in position'by said holding members. v f

8. The means for supporting a heddle rod as defined in claim l in which said heddlerod 1nas a groove there` along, said clamping plate is disposedvin sa-id groove With one outer face flush with an outer face ofthe heddle i rod and said holding members are spaced rivets with their heads terminated at one end at the outer face of said clamping plate.

References -Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS,

1,688,908 Whittier Oct. 23, 1928 1,852,901 Rockelein Apr. 5, 1932 2,619,991 Kaufmann Dec. 2, 1952 

1. IN LOOM HARNESS INCLUDING A HEDDLE FRAME HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM RAILS WITH INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES ON SAID RAILS AND HEDDLE RODS COMPRISING THIN FLAT METALLIC STRIPS MOUNTED IN THE FRAME, MEANS FOR PERMANENTLY SUPPORTING SAID HEDDLE RODS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF COMPRISING, AT EACH SUPPORTING LOCATION ALONG EACH OF SAID FLANGES, A MOUNTING PLATE, SAID HEDDLE ROD HAVING AN ELONGATED RECESS FOR THE RECEPTION OF SAID MOUNTING PLATE, SAID RECESS BEING OF GREATER LENGTH THAN THE LENGTH OF THE MOUNTING PLATE THEREIN, A CLAMPING PLATE ENGAGING SAID HEDDLE ROD IN OVERLAPPED RELATION TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND RETAINING SAID HEDDLE ROD AGAINST REMOVAL, AND PERMANENTLY ENGAGED HOLDING MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CLAMPING PLATE, SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND SAID FLANGE. 